by the way, 2004 1500e vulcan is the bike.

 

Welcome to the forum from North Carolina. Sorry to hear about your issue. Am curious if the clutch is being fully disengaged to allow the bike to go into gear. Did you change the clutch fluid when the clutch was done? Does the clutch lever feel like it has some pressure? If not would change the clutch fluid. Make sure both holes in the bottom od the clutch reservoir are clear. Run a small paper clip through them. You didn’t mention your mileage. Possible it is time for master cylinder and /or slave cylinder rebuild.

Here’s my standard reply for clutch bleeding.

Make sure you cover the bike because clutch fluid is harmful to most surfaces, especially paint.
The clutch system does not have the pressure like the brakes, so the pressure bleeding method is not as effective. Better to use the vacuum method. You can buy a tool like the Mighty-Vac or try this low cost method. I’ve had trouble with the Mighty-Vac on clutches too.
Go to a feed store, medical or Vet supply and get one of their largest Syringes. This should not cost more that a couple of bucks. Use clear plastic tubing (available at any automotive store) that will slide onto the syringe and be the right size for the clutch bleeder valve.
Remove your brake reservoir cover and suck out the old fluid. Empty the syringe.
Fill with new fluid and just lay the cover back on. Don’t install the screws.
Install the hose on the clutch bleeder valve and on the syringe.
Open the bleeder valve a turn and a half and draw back on the syringe. This will suck the fluid and air bubbles into the syringe.
If you need to draw the fluid more than once, make sure you close the bleeder valve when emptying the syringe.
Be sure to keep checking the reservoir, you do not want to empty it and start drawing air into the system.
After you get clean fluid the coming through the hose, close the valve.
Fill the reservoir to the line and install the cover.
Also make sure your clutch lever isn’t binding. Lube with appropriate lubricant.

 

Welcome to the forum from North Carolina. Sorry to hear about your issue. Am curious if the clutch is being fully disengaged to allow the bike to go into gear. Did you change the clutch fluid when the clutch was done? Does the clutch lever feel like it has some pressure? If not would change the clutch fluid. Make sure both holes in the bottom od the clutch reservoir are clear. Run a small paper clip through them. You didn’t mention your mileage. Possible it is time for master cylinder and /or slave cylinder rebuild.

Here’s my standard reply for clutch bleeding.

Make sure you cover the bike because clutch fluid is harmful to most surfaces, especially paint.
The clutch system does not have the pressure like the brakes, so the pressure bleeding method is not as effective. Better to use the vacuum method. You can buy a tool like the Mighty-Vac or try this low cost method. I’ve had trouble with the Mighty-Vac on clutches too.
Go to a feed store, medical or Vet supply and get one of their largest Syringes. This should not cost more that a couple of bucks. Use clear plastic tubing (available at any automotive store) that will slide onto the syringe and be the right size for the clutch bleeder valve.
Remove your brake reservoir cover and suck out the old fluid. Empty the syringe.
Fill with new fluid and just lay the cover back on. Don’t install the screws.
Install the hose on the clutch bleeder valve and on the syringe.
Open the bleeder valve a turn and a half and draw back on the syringe. This will suck the fluid and air bubbles into the syringe.
If you need to draw the fluid more than once, make sure you close the bleeder valve when emptying the syringe.
Be sure to keep checking the reservoir, you do not want to empty it and start drawing air into the system.
After you get clean fluid the coming through the hose, close the valve.
Fill the reservoir to the line and install the cover.
Also make sure your clutch lever isn’t binding. Lube with appropriate lubricant.

it seems to be all the way out but I will have to go out there and check it again. I do not think the cycle shop changed the fluid but I will do it anyway just to get that out of the way, I am assuming it is dot 4 fluid(brake fluid) as the cover on the reservoir indicates this. if it is some kind of clutch fluid i am not aware of it but I will look into it. like I said earlier all I did was put it on the back of a trailer and tied the bike down for the 60-70 mile trip to our new location(where we built our home) and I had put it in first and drove it up on the trailer but when i got home I backed it off the trailer,started it and it would not do anything. I will do some further checking and get back with you. Thank you so much for your response.

 

Will the bike go into 1st gear without the engine running, just maybe moving it back and forth?

 

I am not sure, I have been doing a parallel repair with a suzuki blvd bike as well, trying to get one of them running again after being in storage. my car is on the blink and I need to get something else going besides the car, the other car works ok and wife uses it but i do a lot of side trips and cant go anywhere when she needs the car. its hot here in Texas but short trips are not a problem. got the suzuki running and licenced but would rather use the kawasaki as it is a much comfortabler ride than the one lunger suzuki. Thank you for your reply and I will go out this after noon and see if ti will do as you asked.

 

Welcome from Pennsylvania, hope you can get your troubles sorted out. These folks know what they are talking about and will provide a lot of helpful tips.

 

I can see that already,am checking a few suggestions that I have been given already. Thanks

 

Ok, I'm having a hard time with your description of the problem but having just resolved my clutch problem I'll take a stab at it. First ,definitions for clutch action. Disengaged: clutch lever pulled in, no power sent to the wheel. Engaged: clutch lever out, wheel turns with engine when in gear.

Now, it sounds kind of like the issue is that you put it in gear but when you let the clutch lever out, the clutch does not engage, or does not engage fully. If this is what you're experiencing and bleeding the system doesn't solve the problem, you may need to rebuild the slave cylinder. When I removed the piston from mine, the cylinder wall was gummed up with rubber from the seal. This prevented the piston from returning to it's seated position, so the clutch would not engage (every gear was like neutral). I used 0000 steel wool to clean up the cylinder walls and greased the piston seal with rubber-safe brake grease before reassembling. This, together with bleeding the system after re-filling it solved all my clutch problems.

Hope this helps. Good luck and keep up updated.

 

Ok, I'm having a hard time with your description of the problem but having just resolved my clutch problem I'll take a stab at it. First ,definitions for clutch action. Disengaged: clutch lever pulled in, no power sent to the wheel. Engaged: clutch lever out, wheel turns with engine when in gear.

Now, it sounds kind of like the issue is that you put it in gear but when you let the clutch lever out, the clutch does not engage, or does not engage fully. If this is what you're experiencing and bleeding the system doesn't solve the problem, you may need to rebuild the slave cylinder. When I removed the piston from mine, the cylinder wall was gummed up with rubber from the seal. This prevented the piston from returning to it's seated position, so the clutch would not engage (every gear was like neutral). I used 0000 steel wool to clean up the cylinder walls and greased the piston seal with rubber-safe brake grease before reassembling. This, together with bleeding the system after re-filling it solved all my clutch problems.

Hope this helps. Good luck and keep up updated.

after looking at 7-8 long videos on youtube and several other inquiries about this I think you may be right, even looked at a video on rebuilding it.(the slave cylinder) I havent gone out this morning yet to get it(see yesterdays happening) but when I get it home and put on the jack(have a harbor freight huge jack for lifting it) and I will proceed with changing out this dot4 fluid and also taking the slave and cleaning it and see what happens. Thank you for your help, all these answers coming in are really helping me to zero in on the problem. perhaps I will find the answer today.

 

Being a 17year old bike and with such low mileage, the bike has been sitting unused for some time. The information above about rebuilding the slave & master cylinders is excellent. Also, there are no adjustments on a hydraulic clutch system. If you remove the cap from the master cylinder you will most likely find a lot of crud in the bottom. All of which needs to be cleaned out. You will have to remove the left side engine cover to gain access to the slave cylinder. The unfortunate thing is, if your clutch system is like this, most likely your front & rear breaking system will also need cleaning.

 

I will be doing all these when i get it back home in a bit.

 

Clutch has nothing to do with it shifting especially when engine is not running. It should go in and out of 1st gear only easily. Clutch only separates engine from transmission. I was wanting to make sure it was shifting OK. You said when you rode it that you were able to shift to 2nd & 3rd,, so there should not be any problems with the transmission. Clutch should begin engagement about 1/2 way out from full compression. I believe your problem lies in a dirty MC & Slave cylinder.

 

Thanks, I just got it home and be putting it on the lift as soon as it cools off a little, its 95 out there and the humidity is high so I am looking at later on this evening. just put the trailer away and got the bike in front of the ramp, I have an electric winch that I use to get it up on the ramp and the wife does the switch action while I hold the bike up going up into the ramp. that is the ist thing I will do is look at both of these.

 

If you did not reinstall the left engine cover loosen the three bolts that hold the slave in place about 1/4 to 3/8”. Do not completely remove them. With the bike in gear press the start button and see if it jumps forward. If it does you probably need to clean the relief port at the master cylinder. Do this while it is still warm and was slipping.

 

I will do this tomorrow in the am, but just to be sure, what is the relief port?

 

Pics would be nice. My 1700 manual only says to be sure the relief and supply ports are not plugged. Doesn't show them.

 

These are the two holes in the bottom of the master cylinder. Relief port is the very small one. Unless you fluid is fresh & clean you may not be able to see them. This is best done when you remove the piston and rebuild the unit.
Keep in mind that the bike needs to be at the operating temperature when the clutch begins slipping. Make sure it has reached the point where it will not pull when you let out on the clutch. Then shut it off and loosen the 3 screws on the slave cylinder and press the start button. If the bike starts is in gear and still will not pull with the screws loosened, I will go into more detail about where we go from there.

 

These are the two holes in the bottom of the master cylinder. Relief port is the very small one. Unless you fluid is fresh & clean you may not be able to see them. This is best done when you remove the piston and rebuild the unit.
Keep in mind that the bike needs to be at the operating temperature when the clutch begins slipping. Make sure it has reached the point where it will not pull when you let out on the clutch. Then shut it off and loosen the 3 screws on the slave cylinder and press the start button. If the bike starts is in gear and still will not pull with the screws loosened, I will go into more detail about where we go from there.

Thanks for your reply, something has come up and will not be able to get to the bike but with all this info on the ports I will see if they are plugged and try to clean and unplug them. I will get back on the problem as soon as I get this other stuff gone.

 

Glad you resolved it, and thanks for letting us know the solution.

 

Thanks, the problem seems to have been a plugged relief hole(front one of the two)that kept the fluid from draining and kept the clutch engaged untill it cooled off. I went ahead and did a master cylinder kit rebuild, cleaned everything thoroughy and put back together carefully and bled. so far I have put over 50 miles on it just around here and so far so good. with the new rebuild it seems to bite quicker(about a half inch from the bottom) but I can get used to that, its just good to be able to ride it again and I can compensate. thank you all for your good answers.